Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-10-14

ing slowly and with great difficulty. He was
taken from the vault through the passage to
the National Bank He had considerable
wound upon his forehead and another on the
side of the head. His body was terribly
bruised in places, and he was, till death at 5
o'clock the following morning, unconscious.
At this time every one was convinced that
not only had robbery been committed, but
q murder done. Mr.. Parsons, the insurance
agent, called to mind the fact that during the
afternoon of the robbery he had heard foot
steps frequently in the hall above. The jan
itor also remembered that he went to the door
of the stairway leading from the hall in the
second story to the Masonic hall and found it
unlocked, circumstance which surprised
him, as it was usually locked, and to which
only he and Mr.. Barron were supposed to
have KEYS, and after the robbery he found il
open. These facts seemed to indicate that
the robbers had concealed themselves in the
Masonic hall, locking the stairway door, to
which they by some means had gained keys,
and after all but Mr. Barron had departed had
come forth from their hiding place and rushed
into the Savings Bank office. Mr.. Barron
was in the wood closet getting coal, and sur
prised at the intrusion dropped his shovel and
partially fl lied hod of coal, scattered the con-
terts about. The ruffians here dealt him
| two blows with some hard instrument and
I he taken to the vault and commanded to
| open the vault and safe doors, being gagged
and deprived of the use of his hands as soon
as he had done their bidding. 1t was also ev-
dent that he was dealt another blow to rem.
der him obedient. But this last blow was
probably too severe for it made Mr.. Barron
unconscious before they had caused him to
perform all that was required of him to enable
them to get their booty. Failing here they
locked Mr. Barron into the vault, passed into
the inner office, taking all the cash in the
money drawer, and with the cashiers KEYS
passed out, locking all the doors behind
them.
The following day, Saturday, Coroner Wy
man impaneled jury and held an inquest
Henry G. Parsons and others testified to the
above circumstances, and the facts so far
were made indisputable. Matilda Whitney
testified that few days previous, while pass
| ing from the Savings Bank room, she met
three men who were strangers. One was
tall man, square shoulders, heavy dark beard
and dnrk complexion. Another had full,
round face, fresh complexion, dark NOUS
tache, was of medium height and thick set.
| The third was a small man, and
was so concealed behind the other two
as to prevent inspection. Chas. S. Winslow
said that in passing the entrance to the Saw
ings Bank at dusk on the evening of the
22nd he saw three men standing in the
doorway and that they answered the descrip-
| ton given by Mrs. Whitney, only that they
were bundled up more by heavy coats, etc.
Several others swore to seeing these strang-
ers at various times in the neighborhood
The evidence pointed conclusively to robbery
and the coroner's jury returned a verdict to
to that effect.
In the mean time parties had begun q
search for the robbers. 1t was found that
team containing three men had gone from
| Dexter during the previous evening to Green
vile and thence it was followed toward
Moosehead Lake. Another team with two
men in it was traced to st. Albans but was
lost beyond there. 1t was thought that the
parties had been traced to Solon, but meet
ing with discoursgements the pursuers gave
up the chase. Other clues failed likewise,
and even when the detectives seemed to have
the murderers and robbers in their grasp
they were doomed to disappointment Yet
ever and awhile there were rumors of sue
cessful Identification and detections, but they
grew less and less frequent and finally and
wholly subsidized.
While these attempts to End the robbers
were going on, State Bank Examiner Boil.
ster had examined the books OF the bank and
determined the loss to be about $1,000. There
were however certain entries upon the books
which could not be understood and led many
to express the opinion that Mr.. Barron had
not been honest and had made entries to
cover his dishonesty. But this should have
been considered impossible for so careful had
Mr.. Barron been that, if through any careless
ness or mistake, the bank should become a
loser, it could find in an insurance policy of
$4,000, drawn in the bank's favor money
with which to make good its losses. This
disposition and various others on the part of
Mr.. Barron for a time quieted the accusations
of those who based considerable importance
upon the inaccuracies OF his books and for
a while his name was not coupled with any
thing but expressions of pity and admiration.
But the failure to find the robbers
and the increasing number of
errors and small discrepancies
again awoke the doubts and caused the sccu-
sstions. The town refused a reward, and
after while all search was abandoned. The
investigation of the banks affairs finally re
suited in civil suits against Mr.. Barrons es
| tate, he having become considered bv the
| officials defaulter. The first suit, the Dex-
ter Savings Bank against Samuel Copeland,
the executor of Mr.. Barron's estate, was to
recover S4,S42.22, and was decided favorable
to the estate. Exceptions taken by the plain
tiffs were overruled. This suit was in 1881.
In 1885 q second suit was instituted by the
bank to recover 1000 and interest, the